Lacson: Ex-DPWH exec Bernardo should return P1-B kickbacks

MANILA, Philippines — Former Public Works Undersecretary Roberto Bernardo should return no less than P1 billion from the kickbacks he allegedly received from government projects as part of his application for the witness protection program. 

Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo Lacson said this in an ambush interview on Monday, when he was asked if Bernardo — who served as a “very important witness” in the Senate panel on blue ribbon’s probe into anomalous flood control projects — should return the money. 

READ: Ex-DPWH Usec Bernardo implicates new names in flood control mess

“I believe so. Based on what we have gathered on his participation, I think it should not be less than P1 billion. That’s my personal view; I’m basing that on nothing but my personal information,” said Lacson. 

The senator, who heads the chamber’s powerful panel on blue ribbon, said their investigation into anomalous flood control projects is not yet done, but they are soon set to submit a partial committee report based on the findings they have gathered so far during the previous hearings. 

READ: Emotional Bernardo pins down mentor Bonoan, Cabral

“As we speak, it’s being crafted now. Once ince done, after the budget debates here, then it can be sponsored on the floor,” said Lacson. 

In a separate interview on Monday, Sen. Erwin Tulfo said it would be better to wrap up the hearings on anomalous flood control projects because the investigation is “being turned into a telenovela.”

“Things are becoming too messy. Why don’t we just come up with something and give this case to the ICI? Because we have a lot of cases like this. Our time is being consumed. So many people are asking, and the agriculture cases are waiting; the smuggling cases are pending. Our gambling cases are also pending. So many cases are stuck — even those in the Department of Health, those bills are pending. There are many of them, not just the flood control issue. We’re just too focused on flood control,” said Tulfo. 

“We have to wrap it up because time is running. So what would be the purpose? We’ll conduct an investigation, but there’s also the ICI. It might look like we’re interfering with them. So let’s just give everything to the ICI,” he added. /das